Thursday, September 10, 2009

So, cleverer and nastier people than me came up with a better solution to Joe Wilson than censure: give to his opponent. He has now collected more than $550,000 since the Joe Wilson's opponent, Iraq War Vet Rob Miller. A half million dollars was going to take a year of effort and rubber chicken dinners and begging for him. Now it's over in a night. And he didn't have to open his mouth. Money will continue to be huge for him, forcing the GOP to either defend Wilson's seat with their money - and associate more publicly with the scumbag than they have to date. Joe Wilson showed that Republicans don't care at all for tradition and values. They have no respect for a joint session of Congress. So in response to this cracker jackass, real Americans all over the country did what we Yankees do best: fight hellfire with money.

And if you're still mad, like I am, you can dedicate this website to dumbass Joe Wilson: www.fuckthesouth.com .

11 comments:

I checked out that website and I must admit that when I am in my angrier moods, I sympathize greatly with its tone. Of course I have long agreed with its underlying argument - namely that Republican voters are disproportionately Southern and rural which makes them also disproportionately dependent on federal largess. An observation which stands in stark contrast with their rhetoric of self reliance and minimal government.

It's also long been known that social problems like teen pregnancy, divorce (if that really is a problem), drug abuse and so on are much bigger issues when controlled for population size in rural areas and the South than in the supposedly morally brankrupt urban areas of the North and coastal West.

Oh, it's totally over the top. It's a rant. But that's where rants belong: anonymously on the internet. Not in the middle of a joint session of Congress when the President is speaking to you and the nation as your invited guest.

Oh, the figure for the period since Wilson's unseemly and false outburst is now $670,000.

And of course, the President wasn't lying - Wilson was - the plans specifically forbid undocumented aliens from participating. The lie - that this is not true - is just another right-wing talking point designed to fire up the nutso wackjob base of the party.

RBR - this is just fun to see that the fundraising machine of 2008 still works very well. Up to $740,000 as of 7:30am PDT. Wilson will get an approval bounce of some measure, but mostly by stiffening his base. Independents, above all, are turned off by this kind of incivility. He lost 54-46 last time, so the race is winnable.

Yes, it is fun to see that the old "every attack is worth a million in internet donations to the victim" pattern reemerging. Obama did his best fund raising when he was under fire. That this seems to be an enduring feature of the post 2008 politics is great to see.

There is no no upside to handing your opponent $800,000 and having to apologize for it at the same time. Now you are rght, it may not be as bad as it could be, but it is a net negative for Wilson, I am sure.

Oh, absolutely this is bad news for Wilson! But I wouldn't want to bet against his winning the seat. His district is made up of a large swath of rural South Carolina and chunks of the outer suburbs of Columbia and the high income play ground at Hilton Head. This district is probably red red red (and I don't mean they play The Internationale at PTO meetings).

Wilson is now reporting that he has raised $1 million, after Rob Miller made that announcement last night. Surprise, surprise, the Miller campaign's numbers are verifiable (through actblue and another organization I'm forgetting right now) - Wilson's are not verifiable. Do I think he's lying? He's already shown that he has a propensity for it. But it could be true.

By the way, Wilson has booked himself a slot on Fox News Sunday, proving what we all knew: that this was a stunt to try to turn the joint session of Congress into a town hall meeting. Censure is required.